When interest is calculated on money in a bank account, the way the calculation is performed is typically based at least partly on the contractual terms applicable to the account. For example, in typical personal bank accounts, interest calculations by contract are based on the account balance at the end of a business day. More specifically, for example, to accrue or charge interest to an account and produce a monthly account statement, the daily recorded end-of-day balances of the account over a period of, say, thirty days may be used to calculate interest. Because the only relevant time interval in such a calculation is the business day, typically only the date (as opposed to more precise time information) of a transaction which alters the account balance is recorded and used in the interest calculation.
However, developments in the business world have led to an increasing demand for greater precision in the calculation of interest. For example, because data processing technology is currently able to transfer large amounts of money between accounts in “real time”—that is, in practical terms, almost instantaneously—often the balance in an account can fluctuate dramatically within the course of a single business day. When interest is only calculated based on a net account balance at the end of the business day, such fluctuations may not be accurately registered in terms of potential corresponding interest charges, which may mean that banks offering such real-time transfer services lose out on large interest revenues.
For example, suppose 10,000 currency units are withdrawn from a bank account at 8:00 A.M., the beginning of the bank's business day, leaving a negative balance for the account of −10,000 currency units. Then, suppose the 10,000 currency units are re-deposited in the account at 4:00 P.M., the end of the bank's business day, leaving a net balance on the account for the day of 0 (zero) currency units. If an interest calculation is only performed based on the net account balance at the end of the day, i.e., on an account balance of zero, the bank has, in effect, lent the withdrawer the 10,000 currency units for the day free of interest.
Banks may offer real-time services, for example, in connection with a known “continuous linked settlement” (CLS) system. The CLS system links member banks internationally and enables real-time transactions. In particular, the CLS system is favored because it reduces settlement risk associated with large foreign currency transactions. Banks that are members of the CLS system may offer real-time transaction services to non-member banks. Such member banks have recognized that these real-time services should have corresponding interest calculation that reflects their possibly rapidly fluctuating nature, and may form contracts with non-member banks accordingly. That is, as a condition of providing real-time transaction services, banks providing the services may contract with banks receiving the services that the banks receiving the services will pay interest based on more precise calculations than the traditional calculations based on end-of-day balances.
In view of the foregoing considerations, there is a need for a method and system for managing bank accounts to provide more precise interest calculations.